Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in November 2018 and currently is serving his third and final term in office. Caulkins is a veteran of the United States Army, where he served for over 20 years. He is a retired Major with the Illinois Army National Guard.
Caulkins represents District 88, which includes portions of Macon, McLean, DeWitt and Piatt counties. His life of dedicated public service has included serving on the Decatur City Council for four years and as a trustee for the Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees. Caulkins has also served on several community boards and committees.
Caulkins has worked for manufacturing giant ADM and several other companies. In 1989, he founded a company to build and operate a 19-bed group home for developmentally disabled adults in Sullivan. Caulkins became the Chief Operating Officer of the assisted living facility, Patterson House, Inc., and was responsible for day-to-day operations. PH Inc. grew to include three additional homes and two CILAs with 74 residents and over 100 employees.
Caulkins, a resident of Decatur, is a graduate of Stephen Decatur High School and Eastern Illinois University. He has been married to his wife, Jo, for 49 years.